Encephalartos lehmannii

Encephalartos lehmannii, the Karoo cycad, grows stems to about 2 m in height with a diameter of up to 50 cm. The stem may E. lehmannii often grows suckers close to the stem that may develop into a clump of up to 10 stems on a mature plant. The stem also tends to recline.

The plant has narrow blue-grey leaves. The leaf-base has a characteristic yellow collar where the petiole joins the stem. The leaf rachis (to which the pinnae are attached) may curve or twist towards the upper end. The lowest few leaflets may only be small prickles while those near the centre part of the leaf are the longest. The leaflets or pinnae usually have entire margins, rarely slightly toothed with just one or two teeth occurring on the lower margins. 

The species distribution is in the Eastern Cape Karoo, in districts like Willowmore, Jansenville, Steytlerville and Kirkwood.

The habitat is karoid scrub on rocky hillsides, dry fynbos and thicket. The habitat population is deemed vulnerable due to goat farming and illegal plant collection (Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; www.plantzafrica.com; ww.cycadsociety.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).